Manufacture of moisture-proof cartons.



No. 856.853. PATENTED JUNE 11, 190 7.

I H. G. ECKSTBIN. MANUFACTURE OF MOISTURE PROOF CARTONS.

APPLICATION FILED 001217. 1904. RENEWED NOV.17, 1906.

L s M i )B i 8 i 6 i 8 l i I- 4 1 3 #r a g Y I d g I g 1 if i i i i d I a 3 s DQ760665: flue/7g WM, @y f p 4 UJITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY G. ECKSTEIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLTNOIS, ASSIGNOR TO RUECKHEIM BROS. & ECKSTEIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

MANUFACTURE OF MOISTURE-PROOF CARTONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11. 1907.

lb n/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY G. EoKs'rEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Moi-sture-Proof Cartons, of which I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description, sufficient to enable those skilled in the 10 art to practice my invention.

The present invention relates to the manufacture of paper cartons such asare used for inclosing candies, biscuit, coffee, shelled peanuts or other small merchandise that is liable 5 to become stale or injured by exposure to at- .mosphcric moisture, and seeks to provide an improved method for rendering such cartons moisture proof.

The invention is primarily directed to that 20 style of paper carton formed by scoring andcutting a sheet of stiff paper so as to foi'm corner folds and terminal flaps, the overlapping edges of the sheet being fastened together or sealedto give the carton a tubular 5 form, the end flaps being subsequently folded when the carton is filled to close the ends and form a moisture tight package. In a method heretofore devised by me for rendering moisture-proof this style of carton, I have ob- 3 tained very satisfactory results by first cutting and scoring the paper blanks in usual manner, folding'the same and sealing their edges. The collapsed cartons or packet flats.were then assembled into bunches or 3 5 bundles comprising from fifty to one hundred flats and were immersed in a bath of melted paraffin waxuntil the wax had thoroughly permeated all the flats; after which the bunches or bundles of packet flats were withdrawn from the bath and while still retained in piles the flats were drained and the surplus wax distributed and eliminated through aid of the residual heat in the pile or bundle. .Cartons thus treated could be'readily opened 45' out into tubular form for packing because not enough wax remained upon the surfaces of the flats to cause the sides to stick to ether. The cartons may be very economicalIy and rapidly saturated with wax in collapsed or 50 flat form by this method. .In packing certain kinds of articles however, particularly Where they are to be retained in the cartons for a long time or exposed to very moist atto prevent the leakage of moisture at the corners and joints of the cartons.

I have found that if the cartons, after be ing immersed in the melted wax in collapsed or packet flat condition until thoroughly impregnated with the wax, be withdrawn and be opened out into tubular form before the wax has had a chance to cool or set, that the wax then cools or sets very rapidly and the surfacesof the carton will be coated with a film of the wax that will add materially to the water-proof character of the carton.

My present invention therefore consists in the method of rendering cartons moistureproofsthat consists in immersinglthem in a collapsed or flat condition, after they have from the bath and opening them out into tubular form before the wax has had a chance to cool or set.

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated the style of carton to the manufacture of which my invention is more particularly directed.

Figure 1 shows the blank from which the car on is to be formed. Fig. 2- is a perspective view of the carton in colla sed or packet flat form after it has been f0 (led and sealed. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the carton after it has been opened out into tubular form.

In practicing the present invention, the carton is preferably formed from a sheet of stiflmanila paper of good quality, this sheet being cut upon the lines a to form the terminal flaps a, and being scored upon the lines a and a to determine the points at which the blank or sheet is to be folded to form the corners. After the sheet has thus been cut and scored, it .will-be folded along the lines a and its edge a will be fastened or sealed in any suitable manner to that part of theopposite side of tlfe blank which such edge will overlap. The blank will then be in the collapsed or flattened condition as shown in Fig'., 2 of the drawing. In this collapsed in guarding against the access ofmoisture or flat condition the cartons may be most economically and conveniently subjected to the. waxing bath particularly if, as is preferable, they are assembled into piles or bundles' of from fifty to one hundred for ease in handling 'lhe piles or bundles of. collapsed cartons or llats are then immersed in a bath of melted wax. Preferably, melted parallin maintained at a suitable tempera= ture (say about 180 F.) will be used for the bath and the cartons will be allowed to remain in the bath from three to fifteen minutcs, until they become practically saturated with therhot parallin. The duration of treatment necessarily varies in keeping with the difference of temperature, the quality of the paper and the number of flats comprised in the bundles. Other things being equal, the

colder the wax the slower will be its action in" permeating the body of the paper blanks, but more wax will be retained upon the cartons.

After the cartons have become saturated with the wax, they will be removedfrom the bath and will preferably be sustained with their surfaces in vertical, or approximately vertical position for a brief time to permit.- the surplus wax to drain away; But before the wax has had a chance to cool or set, the

body of thc paper is impregnated, will materially increase the water-proofcharacter of the carton, and is particularly advantageous along the lines a upon which the terminal flaps a" will be folded. By opening out the collapsed cartons before the wax has had a chance to set, all danger of the inner surfaces of the cartons sticking together, is of course avoided. I

As stated, the collapsed cartons or flats may be drained for a brief interval immediately after removal from the bath, while still I same time.

in pile or while still kept hot. 'lhis draining may be. longer or shorter as desired, or the flats may be opened out and allowed to cool at once; the quicker they are so opened out. and allowedto cool the greater will be theamount of wax retained by the cartons.

By treating the cartons in collapsed condition (and particularly il they are piled or bunched as described) a most rapid and eco- -nomical handling of the cartons can be had and a large number may be treated at the Then if they are separated and opened out so as to expose all portions of the carton to the air, the-wax will quickly cool and set and the carton will carry a large amount of wax, 'i. c. they will not only he saturated butwill be coated with a tilm and will be proportibnately better able to resist moisture. Moreover, this treatment is much more rapid than when they are'allrm'ed to drain in pile, since they must be. so drained for a considerable time to maintain the wax liquid andto properly distribute the same and eliminate the surplus.

It is obvious that the details of treatment maybe varied and, that any suitable apparatus may be employed as desired for carrying out my improved process.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to obtain by Letters Patent is 1. The method of rendering cartons mois ture proof that consists in immersing the collapsed cartons in abath of melted wax to impregnate the body of the carton, withdrawing the collapsed cartons from the bath and finally opening out the cartons into a tubular form before the wax has had time to set.

2. The method. of rendering cartons mois-t ture proof that consists in immersing in a bath of melted wax a bundle of collapsed or flattenedcartons, allowing them to remain Within the bath until the wax thoroughly impregnates the bodies of the cartons, then withdrawing the bundle of collapsed cartons. from the bath and finally opening out the cartons in a tubular form before the wax has had time to set.

HENRY G. E CKSTEIN. Witnesses:

HARRY L. OLAPP, LILLIAN PRENTICE. 

